Ex-Blagojevich aide gets 2 years on corruption charges

Alonzo "Lon" Monk arrives for sentencing at Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago. Monk was a former chief of staff to former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. (Zbigniew Bzdak, Chicago Tribune)

A former chief of staff to Rod Blagojevich who was also a close friend to the disgraced former governor was sentenced today to 2 years in federal prison.

Alonzo “Lon” Monk, 53, was a key witness against former boss at both of Blagojevich’s trials.

Monk pleaded guilty in October 2009 to one count of wire fraud. After becoming a highly sought lobbyist in Springfield, he admitted that he worked with Blagojevich in 2008 to obtain campaign contributions of $100,000 from horse racing executive John Johnston in exchange for the then-governor’s support of legislation to share Illinois casino profits with horse racing tracks.

As part of his plea deal, Monk told prosecutors that he, Blagojevich and other insiders to the corrupt former governor discussed how they could secretly make hundreds of thousands of dollars from their control over state government.

Monk became friends with Blagojevich while the two attended Pepperdine University law school in Malibu, Calif. Monk was a groomsman at Blagojevich’s wedding in 1990. He ran his 2002 and 2006 campaigns for governor.